Mechanism for adjusting a display

• US 7,054,145 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Toshiyuki, Kusaka, Hiroyuki, Granaas, Aage
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, YEAN HSI
• Application Number:
  US10/716,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20050105252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680, 361/681, 361/683
• US Class Current: 361/679.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0227 Rotatable in one plane, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts

Abstract

An electronic device implemented with a display and a body case formed by a first body and a second body. The electronic device comprises a hinge and a shaft. The hinge is rotationally coupled to the first body and the second body. The shaft has a first end coupled to the body case and a second end coupled to the display housing. The shaft is adapted to horizontally rotate and translate the display to enable vertical rotation of the display and the second body by the hinge.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a hinge;

a body case having a first portion and a second portion, the second portion being coupled to the first portion by the hinge and adapted to be vertically rotated;

a display mounted over the body case, the display being placed in a first position to prevent the vertical rotation of the second portion, and placed in a second position to enable vertical rotation of the second portion relative to the first portion; and

a coupling member coupled to the body case and the display, the coupling member being adapted to horizontally rotate and translate the display between the first position and the second position.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a keyboard deployed within the first portion, the keyboard being covered by the display when placed in a TABLET position and being partially covered by the display when the display placed in the first position.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the display is horizontally translated by the coupling member between the first position and the second position where the keyboard is fully exposed.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member includes a shaft, and the second portion of the body case includes a guide in which the shaft is slidably inserted.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the guide is positioned under an opening in the second portion of the body case that is sized to permit rotation of the shaft only in one rotational direction.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the body case includes a plurality of protrusions extending under a corresponding plurality of recessed areas in the second portion of the body case.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of protrusions of the first portion of the body case extends to a latitudinal center of the second portion of the body case.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of protrusions of the first portion operate as legs in balancing and maintaining both the display and the second portion at an angled position after vertical rotation.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a footprint of the display is greater than each footprint of the first portion and the second portion and less than a total footprint of the first portion and the second portion.

10. An electronic device implemented with a display and a first body and a second body forming a body case, comprising:

a hinge rotationally coupled to the first body and the second body; and

a coupling member coupled to the display and the body case, the coupling member comprises

a guide having a channel portion, and

a shaft guided by the guide, a cross section of the shaft being wider than a width of the channel portion when the display is placed in a first position, and being narrower than the width of the channel portion when the display is placed in a second position; and

wherein the display is positioned in (1) the first position to cover the hinge and a substantial portion of the first body and second body, and (2) the second position to partially cover only the second body.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the shaft is further adapted to support the display in a third position covering the hinge and a portion of the first body and second body being lesser in area than the substantial portion of the first body and second body covered by the display when in the first position.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the display is horizontally rotated by ninety degrees and translated by shifting the display toward an edge of the second body opposite an edge of the second body coupled to the hinge.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the display is in the third position after being horizontally rotated to be substantially orthogonal to the first position.

14. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the shaft includes a fastener element positioned at one end of the shaft and a securing element positioned at the other end of the shaft.

15. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the hinge vertically rotates the second body and the display after the display has been placed in the second position and maintains the second body and the display at a selected angle.

16. An electronic device implemented with a display and a first body and a second body forming a body case, comprising:

a hinge rotationally coupled the first body and the second body; and

a coupling member coupled to the second body and the display, the coupling member adapted to horizontally rotate and translate the display to enable vertical rotation of both the display and the second body by the hinge.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the coupling member is adapted to support the display in (1) a first position covering the hinge and more than one-half of a footprint of each of the first body and the second body, and (2) a second position only covering more than one-half of a footprint of the second body.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the coupling member is further adapted to support the display in a third position covering the hinge and partially covering a portion of the first body and the second body.

19. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the display is in the first position when the electronic device is in a TABLET position and is in the second position when the electronic device is in a SELF-SUPPORTING position after being horizontally rotated and translated.

20. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein the display is in the second position after the display is horizontally rotated to be substantially orthogonal to an orientation of the display when the electronic device is in the TABLET position.